Promotional pocket carton

ABSTRACT

A promotional article for insertion into a carton containing beverage bottles. The article comprises a premium attached to a tray-like member which is provided with means to engage and be borne by one, but preferably more, of the primary containers. The article is adapted to be contained within the carton without distorting any wall thereof. The invention also provides a promotional package comprising the article and beverage-filled bottles in a carton and a method of producing same.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to containers or cartons and promotional packages including same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The provision of packaging means, for example, secondary containers or cartons for the distribution of beverages such as bottles or cans of beer, soft drinks or the like in primary containers is a major aspect of the beverage manufacturing industry, especially in North America. The container should be of the lowest possible cost consistent with providing the required functionality. It is usually supplied to the beverage manufacturer in a compact (usually flat or “knocked down” condition) and is conveniently and rapidly erectable—by commercially available equipment—for reception of beverage filled bottles or cans and sealed following such filling. It should be noted that such secondary containers generally enclose six, twelve or up to twenty-four bottles or cans which when filled, constitute a relatively heavy load and place quite severe mechanical strains on the container. Moreover, especially in the Canadian context where all such bottles and cans are returnable, it is very important that the secondary container is adapted to receive the bottles and cans when empty to enable same to be transported to a collection facility. Even when the bottles or cans are empty, they still present a significant loading. The result is that when filled with full or empty bottles or cans, when the containers are being carried there is a force created which the carton must absorb otherwise obviously disadvantageous results would ensue. In this latter case, the flaps forming the top wall of the container will generally not be positively secured to each other by adhesive or other means and there consequently is some loss of structural rigidly when using the container to transport the empty returnable bottles or cans to a collection facility or the like. In such circumstances, it is important that any other demands or requirements made on the container do not further weaken it structurally to the extent it cannot fulfil this function.

[0003] Further, in recent years the marketing of packaged beverages has increasingly used promotional items, such as discount coupons, “scratch and win” cards; prize winning tickets and the like printed items. The distribution of such printed items can be expensive and problematic. For example, they can simply be included as a loose insert in the carton or printed on the exterior of the carton. Loose coupons may be damaged in the loading of the carton, lost or overlooked. Coupons printed directly onto the packaging are generally not easily removed and, if they are removed, the packaging is damaged or mutilated resulting in structural problems for the remaining life of the package with particular emphasis on required re-use of the package as in the beverage industry as described above. In many cases, and again, the beverage industry is a prime example, such items cannot be simply affixed to the outside of the carton because it interrupts its flat surface and prevents the stacking etc. demands made on the carton during its functional life such as when it is stacked in stores or transported. Also, there are security aspects of the package that must be considered i.e. the promotional item should preferably not be visible and, if removed, that fact should be readily apparent from the condition of the carton.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a carton for placing a product in the retail sales process, which carton is adapted to carry a promotional item which can be accessed without materially affecting the subsequently desired functionality of the package.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

[0005] The present invention provides a carton for containing a number of bottles, cans or the like filled with a beverage, which carton also has provision for delivering a promotional item or “premium” at low cost. The carton has a panel formed in one wall, which panel when removed provides access to the premium located there behind. The premium could be a coupon or the like separate or printed on the reverse of the panel or on another adjacent severable part of the carton.

[0006] Preferably, a pocket is formed between the panel and the premium, be it a printed item such as a coupon, scratch 'n save item or a three dimensional item such as a key ring, bottle opener; or the like is located in the pocket. The pocket can extend into the carton, for example into the void between adjacent bottles or cans contained therein, either between the main bottle parts of the bottles or between the necks thereof. Obviously, the location of the pocket must be such that does not extend into a location to be occupied by a bottle, can or the like. In one embodiment, the pocket is formed between the carton wall and another section of board material and, preferably the latter section is part of a unitary or one-piece blank from which the carton is assembled. The premium can be, for example, secured to the appropriate wall of the blank prior to it being formed into the knocked-down version or final erected carton. The carton may be a top- or end-loading carton.

[0007] The invention also provides a blank for making such a carton. The invention further provides a promotional package comprising a carton or carton blank as described above in combination with a premium and the same filled with a complement of beverage-filled bottles, cans or the like.

[0008] In a specific embodiment the present invention provides a carton having a wall provided with a panel adapted to be manually separated from said wall from outside of the carton to allow access to a premium locatable inside said carton and adjacent an interior surface of said wall without affecting the ability of the carton to contain a complement of empty bottles during transportation. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a carton comprising a base, end and sidewalls connected by hinge lines to one another to form a sleeve, opposing pairs of end and side panels connected by hinge lines to the upper edges of respective end and side walls and extending substantially the length thereof, each end and side panel being adapted to fold towards its opposing respective end or side panel, said side panels being further adapted to overlie said end panels and co-act therewith to form a top wall, one wall being provided with a panel adapted to be manually separated from said wall from outside of the carton to allow access to a premium locatable inside said carton and adjacent an interior surface of said wall without affecting the ability of the carton to contain a complement of empty bottles during transportation.

[0009] It is preferred that the panel provides access to a pocket containing the premium. The panel may be formed by a line or lines of weakness which are readily severable by hand. Also, the panel need not be totally removable from its associated wall; it may be only partially severed and, in effect, remain hingedly secured to the wall whilst providing the desired access.

[0010] In a top loading carton, the panel is preferably located in an end-wall. Moreover, the pocket may be formed from the material making up the carton and be an extension of the glue flap or tab which transforms the walls into the basic carton sleeve.

DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will be further described, but not limited, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a unitary carton blank of the present invention for making a top loading carton to contain 6 bottles in a 3×2 configuration.

[0013]FIG. 2 shows a top loading container of the present invention made from the blank of FIG. 1 shown in a flat or “knocked down” condition;

[0014]FIG. 3 shows the “knocked down” carton of FIG. 2 in its erected and filled condition.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the carton of FIG. 3 along the cross-sectional line Y-Y in FIG. 3.

[0016]FIG. 5 is a partial section of the end wall along the line X-X in FIG. 3 wherein the handle flap members are in a partially displaced condition.

[0017]FIG. 6 is a similar view to FIG. 5 but shows the promotion panel in a severed and displaced or open condition.

[0018]FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternative glue panel to that shown as part of the blank FIG. 1.

[0019]FIG. 8 is a similar view to that shown in FIG. 5 but of the glue panel of FIG. 7 of part of an erected carton;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a partial cross-section similar to that shown in FIG. 8 but showing a further alternative of the glue tab arrangement.

[0021]FIG. 10 is a perspective of a filled end loader carton incorporating the present invention.

[0022]FIG. 11 is a side elevation view along the cross-section line Z-Z in FIG. 10.

[0023] The beer carton and associated blank shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are described in detail as follows. The carton, generally designated 10, is a “six-pack”, adapted or designed to contain six 341 ml bottles (commonly called “pints”) of an alcoholic brewery product such as beer. The carton 10 in FIG. 2 is shown in the collapsed or “knocked down” condition as it is received by the brewer from the manufacturer and in FIG. 3 is shown in its erected or “set up” condition. It comprises first side wall 12 affixed via crease hinge line 14 to an end wall 16. End wall 16 is similarly affixed to a second side wall 19 (not shown in FIG. 2) by hinge line 18 and side wall 19 is affixed to a second end wall 11 (also not shown in FIG. 2) which in turn is affixed to first side wall 12 via hinge line 19 following the securing of end wall 11 to panel 27—see below. Bottom side panels 13 and end wall panels 15 (refer FIG. 1) which, upon the carton being erected, form the base wall 41 (refer FIG. 4), are enclosed within the sleeve formed by the side and end walls. The general construction of such panels and their arrangement to form the base wall are well known in the art and utilized in many standard cartons such as the regular beer six-pack produced in Canada for example by Mead Packaging Division Canada. The carton is manufactured in the usual manner from the one-piece cardboard blank of the present invention (shown in FIG. 1). In this case, the glue tab 21 is part of panel 27 formed by the combination of glue tab 21 and hand hole reinforcing section 23, which, in addition to having the potential hand hole arrangement 60 also has adhesive strip 25 so that when glue tab underlies the inner surface of end wall 16, panel 27 becomes adhesively secure thereto along the two edges to form the basic cartoon sleeve structure. Affixed to sidewall 12 via slotted hinge line 24 is a top side panel 26 defined generally by edges 28, 30 and 32. Panel 26 also has inwardly depressible section 31 for ease of opening to remove bottles.

[0024] Affixed to end wall 16 via hinge line 40 is top end panel 42 which consists of a main body portion 44 and extending therefrom a tongue member 46. The combined width of body member 44 plus tongue member 46 is only about one-third the length of the full container and consequently, when the end panels are folded down so as to overlie the interior, and the contents, of the carton, there is a space or gap between the outer edges thereof of about one-third the length of the carton. As a man skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the spacing and the tongue arrangement are provided so as to enable the carton to be filled and sealed by high-speed automatic equipment. In summary, the provision of tongue 46 may be considered to be equivalent to the provision of a cutout in the panel 42 through which cutout the plough which folds over the opposing end panel may pass without contacting the one end panel.

[0025] End wall 16 is provided with a potential hand hole designated 60 defined by side slits 62; perforated hinge line 64, and slits 66. Two crease hinge lines 68 extend, at an angle, from the upper extremities of slits 62 to horizontal slit 66. In smaller cartons, such as the beer six-pack shown in the accompanying drawings, only one end wall is provided with such a hand hole. However, larger containers, for example a beer 24-case, will generally have such a hand hole in both opposing end walls.

[0026] End wall 16 is also provided with a panel 61 defined by lines of weakness 63, slit 65 and hinge line 67. Hinge line 67 is inwardly of edge or crease line 14 an amount at least equal to the width of glue tab or strip 21 so that the at least partial severing of panel 61 stops at that hinge line and the integrity of the sleeve join 14 is not compromised.

[0027] Turning to FIG. 3, this shows carton 10 in its erected condition filled with six bottles (not shown) and top side and end panels secured in a overlapping condition thereby providing the carton top 17. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a cross-section along the line Y-Y in FIG. 3, clearly showing the complement of six bottles. The panel 61 is shown severed or separated from wall 16 and fingers are shown extending into pocket 59 denoted by dotted line 19 which is the wall of the pocket, panel 61 being, effectively, the access “door”.

[0028]FIG. 5 is a section along the line X-X in FIG. 3 showing the hand hole arrangement in detail with flaps 50 and 26 having been partially pushed inwardly of the carton 10. Panel 61 is shown unsevered, i.e. still forming an integral part of end wall 16. In FIG. 6, panel 61 is shown partially severed and rotated about hinge line 67 out of the plane of wall 16 so as to provide a hole or window bounded by edges 73, hinge line 67 and hinge line 18 (not shown in FIG. 6). Panel 61 carries indicia 70 as shown in “mouse type”.

[0029] Turning to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 these show an alternative embodiment of the invention and in particular a modified version of panel 27 in the blank shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, an additional panel 52 is shown affixed by lines of weakness namely perforations, to section 23 and glue tab area 21. Panel 52 is actually a printed coupon which can readily be detached or severed from the remainder of panel 27. Panel 52 is the same size or slightly less than its associated panel 61 and can be readily severed from panel 27 and extracted when panel 61 has been removed.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 9, this shows a further embodiment utilizing a modification of panel 27 of the blank of FIG. 1. In its assembled condition as shown in FIG. 9, a lower panel 53 is shown angled slightly (shown exaggerated) away from end wall 16. This then provides a pocket 59 between end wall 16 and panel 53 which pocket includes a premium—in this case, a scratch and save card 51. It will be appreciated that the thickness of pocket 59 need only be minimal if the premium is of the printed paper type. If a relatively thick or 3-D premium is involved, then it may be necessary to locate the pocket in a void between the main bodies of the bottles in the carton—refer FIG. 4 which shows such voids. Alternatively, the pocket can be located in the upper portion of the side wall so that the pocket extends into the larger voids “V” between the necks of the bottles or a bottle and a carton wall—see below with respect to FIG. 11.

[0031] Turning to FIG. 10, there is shown an erected and filled end loading 6-pack carton. The construction, set up, and filling of the basic six pack cartons are well known and will not be described here. However, the specific six-pack shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 incorporates the present invention wherein sidewall 12 is provided with severable panel 74 denoted by severable lines of weakness 63, slit 65 and hinge line 67. Note that the panel 74 is located in the upper part of sidewall 12. Reference to FIG. 11 shows that a pocket 59 defined in part by wall panel 74 lies directly behind panel 74 and in the void 76 between the necks of the bottles and the associated sidewall 12. Note the bottles are what are known in North America as “stubbies” which have necks “N” which are very short relative to the length of the bottles' main body. As a consequence, the voids available to receive a pocket 59 are smaller than would be the case if the carton were to contain the so-called “long-neck” or similar bottles. Obviously, this must be taken into account when deciding the physical size of the enclosed premium. Locating a premium on the panel 74 on the sidewall 12 (or on the top-wall panel 26), in the case of an end loader carton, is preferred since the end walls in such cartons are constructed from a number of small panels and incorporating a pocket or the like arrangement therein would be complex and less desirable. In any event, locating the pocket in the position as shown, (or on the top wall) in FIG. 9 means that the sliding in of the block of six bottles into the carton from an end thereof, which is how such an end loader is filled, will not be impeded.

[0032] The blank 11 is formed in the usual manner, the only difference being, in the case of the present invention the provision of premium access panel 74 and the premium desired to be included in the filled carton. The various lines of weakness, perforations, slits, hinge lines, etc. which define the panel 74 are similar lines, etc. of weakness as used to produce standard blanks and sufficient to provide the severable access panel, etc. as described herein. The same applies as for severable coupons such as coupon 52 in FIG. 7 and pocket wall member such as 53 shown in FIG. 9 is concerned. The printing of coupon 29 and any other parts unitary with the blank can be made in the usual manner.

[0033] Separately produced promotions, such as 51 shown in FIG. 9 may simply be secured to the blank prior to its being converted to the “knocked down” version. If required, premiums such as key rings, pins etc. can be inserted in a plastic bag which, secured to the inside of a wall behind the premium panel, would then comprise the pocket. Alternatively the pocket is conveniently formed in a unitary manner as shown in FIG. 9.

[0034] The collapsed carton shown in FIG. 2 is erected in the brewing facility by applying pressure to, in effect squeeze, the collapsed carton in the direction of the arrows A shown in FIG. 2. The base of the container 41 is, as mentioned above, quite standard and is of the type, which, upon applying pressure as aforementioned so as to form a rectangular wall structure or sleeve, automatically the bottom and end side panels lock into place and provide a firm bottom or base wall 41.

[0035] The interior height of the carton is approximately the same height as the enclosed bottles or cans which means that the top wall when formed from the top side and end panels overlies and possibly contacts the crown corks or can tops of the enclosed bottles or cans respectively. The top loading carton is filled mechanically with six pint bottles of ale, lager or the like. The top is then formed from the top panels and then sealed using adhesive in the usual manner. The operation may be summarized as follows: six filled pint bottles are top loaded, i.e. dropped into the carton as it travels on a conveyor: a double plough arrangement folds the top end panels 42 successively; adhesive is then applied to the end panels at locations 54; and the side panels 26 are then folded over and onto associated top end panels 42, respectively via a cam arrangement, the adhesive securing the two pairs of panels together. The machinery involved is quite standard and well known in the art and it is felt need not be described in further detail.

[0036] To access the premium, the edge 71, formed by slit 65, of panel 61 is grasped using the fingers and pulled thus severing the lines of perforations 63, 65, etc. to form and remove the panel up to hinge 67 and expose the premium. Obviously, the type, size (length, width and thickness) of the premium dictates the physical characteristics and possibly the specific location of the pocket, but these choices are readily made and effected by a manner skilled in the art. They also pose a limitation on the size of the premium, which may be delivered via the delivery system of the present invention. 

I claim: 1) A carton having a wall provided with a panel adapted to be manually separated from said wall from outside of the carton to allow access to a premium item locatable inside said carton and adjacent an interior surface of said wall without affecting the ability of the carton to subsequently contain a complement of empty bottles during transportation thereof. 2) A carton comprising a base, end and side walls connected by hinge lines to one another to form a sleeve having one end sealed by said base, opposing pairs of end and side panels connected by hinge lines to the upper edges of respective end and side walls and extending substantially the length thereof, each end and side panel being adapted to fold towards its opposing respective end or side panel, said side panels being further adapted to overlie said end panels and co-act therewith to form a top wall, one wall being provided with a panel adapted to be manually separated from said wall from outside of the carton to allow access to a promotional item locatable inside said carton and adjacent an interior surface of said wall without affecting the ability of the carton to subsequently contain a complement of empty bottles during transportation thereof. 3) A carton comprising serially; top, rear, bottom and front interconnected walls, means connecting said top to said front wall to form a tubular knocked down sleeve, one of said front or rear walls being provided with a panel adapted to be manually separated from said wall from outside of the carton to allow access to a promotional item locatable inside said carton and adjacent an interior surface of said wall without affecting the ability of the carton to subsequently contain a complement of empty bottles during transportation thereof. 4) A carton according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said interior surface is a back surface of said panel. 5) A carton according to claim 1 wherein said panel is integral with said wall and is defined at least in part by a severable line of weakness. 6) A carton according to claim 1 wherein said panel provides access to a pocket containing said premium. 7) A carton according to claim 6 wherein said pocket is formed between said wall and a layer of sheet material located interior of the carton adjacent said wall. 8) A carton according to claim 7 wherein said sheet material is part of a unitary blank from which the carton is constructed. 9) A carton according to claim 1 wherein said panel is located in a position such that it provides access to a void which exists between main bodies of primary containers when in the carton. 10) A carton according to claim 1 wherein said panel is located in a position that it provides access to a void which exists between necks of bottles of primary containers when in the carton. 11) A carton according to claim 1 wherein the premium is marked on or secured to an interior surface of said panel. 12) A carton according to claim 2 wherein said panel is in an end wall of said carton. 13) A carton according to claim 12 wherein said wall is also provided with a hand hole. 14) A blank for producing a carton as claimed in claim
 1. 15) The blank of claim 14 in combination with a premium. 16) A package comprising a carton as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a premium item. 17) A promotional package as claimed in claim 16 and containing a complement of beverage filled bottles in combination with a promotional item accessible via said panel. 